Ver. 6.- Warning notes. There is something in this interrogatory style that arrests the attention and excites inquiry. Combined as it is with bold figures of speech, it gives both vivacity and impressiveness to the prophecies of the herdsman of Tekoa.h. I. THE PRESENCE OF CALAMITY. The phrase," evil in a cit-y," is certainly vague, but how much it may imply! How many forms of misery may be suggested by the expression !-e.g. famine, pestilence, war, riot, and faction, all are evils, and evils which do not always come singly to a community. II. THE MORAL BIGNIFIOANOE OF OALA.MITY. The suggestion of the prophet is that "the Lord bath done it." We are not warranted in applying the test of our opinions to events permitted by Divine providence. It is foolish to profess ourselves able to interpret all the events, and especially all the calamities, that occur; to see God's "judgments" in all human distresses. Yet no devout mind can question that there is a very important sense in which, when evil happens to a city or a country, the Lord hath done it. The world is governed by moral laws; but the Governor is the supreme Creator of all things, the supreme Disposer of all events. Disobedience to his authority and ordinances entails suffering, privation, disaster. Men reap as they sow. III. THE PROPBETIO WARNING OF COMING CALAMITY. The prophetwa~ a watchman, as Ezekiel so vigorously shows us, whose office it is to recognize the approach of ill, and to give the people timely and faithful warning. The same office is still fulfilled by those who being dead yet speak, whose declarations concerning Divine government remain for the instruction of all generattons. The Bible abounds with admonitions to which cities and nations will do well to give heed. And all ministers of religion are bound to explain to the people the principles of moral rule and law, of moral retribution, of repentance and reformation. IV. THE PROPER EFFEOT OF OALA.MITY. The i=ediate result is that described in the text-fear, trembling, alarm. Ilut the remote result, that chiefly to be desired, ie the turning of men's hearts unto the Lord, and their consequent acceptance and forgiveness,-•r.
Ver. 7.-The revelation of secrets. That there must be assumed to be some limita• tion to this broad statement is manifest. It is not intended to declare that God made his prophets acquainted with all his counsels and intentions, but rather that revelation and inspiration are realities, and that prophecy is a Divine ordinance. I. TRE AOTIONS OF GOD ARE THE RESULT OF DELIBERATE COUNSEL AND PURPOSE. This way of representing the conduct of Divine affairs is out of harmony with much current teaching of our time. We are often told that it is childish to conceive of God as persona.I, a.s thinking, feeling, and acting. But so far from such representations being derogatory to the Divine dignity, they do, in fact, enhance our conceptions of him. Reason and will are the lofty attributes of mind ; and whilst the Eternal is not bound by '.he limitations which circumscribe our faculties, these faculties a.re the finite reilection of what is infinite in him. It is the glory of our Scriptures that they reveal to us a. God who commands, not a blind awe, but an intelligent veneration, and elicits an nppreciati ve and grateful love. II. THE OOUNBELB AND PURPOSES OF GOD ABE REVEALED TO THE SYW'ATBETllJ 68 THE BOOK OF AMOS. tou. ni. 1-UI,